Longing for immortality
by Kure1
Summary: Kure had one goal after being reincarnated - to obtain immortality. He never expected to develop a sense of belonging. Kure finds himself torn between leading his clan to greater prominence or pursuing his ultimate goal of immortality. [OC/SI]
1. Chapter 1

AU: Kaguya doesn't exist and some jutsu are nerfed. (I.e Shadow clones, Edo Tensei and Orochimaru's seal.). Strictly speaking, it's inaccurate to call this fic an SI, considering the only intentional similarity between myself and Kure is our shared fear of death. Sorry for the sudden change from first to third person after the first few paragraphs, I was still experimenting with what kind of style I wanted to go for. Feel free to tell me which you preferred.

* * *

Being reborn in the Naruto world was quite the jarring experience. My earliest memory in this life was being passed around as a baby. I could clearly distinguish Konoha's insignia on the forehead of everyone that was holding me. I did entertain the notion that my new family were simply ardent and very dedicated cosplayers, but witnessing The Hokage Rock instantly dispelled my doubts. I'm surprised my birth is when i became sentient, considering that babies develop consciousness while in the womb.

Being a baby was awful, no seriously, it was purgatory. I found myself in a state of perpetual boredom, unable to undertake even the most mundane activities. When I finally was capable of crawling I was ecstatic, giggling with glee as I finally gained some semblance of independence.

The worst part was my inability to communicate, considering all i could do was make gurgling noises or cry. Yes, I occasionally cried. Not because I was incapable of controlling my emotions, but because I found that it the most effective way of communicating that I wanted something. It was honestly quite humiliating, but I found it preferable to lying in a pile of my own waste.

The first week of my new life was a dull affair, I spent the majority of it thinking or sleeping, not that i had much else to do; at least it gave me ample time to come to terms with my new situation. Initially I assumed I was born within a shinobi family, but I started to question that, given the physique of my caretakers was hardly ninja-esque. In my first month I had only seen my caretakers, I had yet to see my father, and hadn't seen my mother since birth. At the time I assumed they were on a mission.

With little to do my thoughts drifted to contemplating my current situation. I was in the elemental nations. Being reincarnated in the Naruto world was simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating. On one hand, the chances of a gruesome and early death are absurdly high, considering i'd be expected to put my life on the line; moreover I'm sure that i'll be expected to carry out all manners of nefarious deeds `for the sake of the village'. Despite that, I couldn't be happier. Immortality. Immorality is legitimately attainable in this world. Had you asked me in my past life what my greatest fear was, without hesitation i'd have said `dying', I am and always have been terrified at the prospect of dying. I should clarify, I don't live everyday in crippling fear that I may die, nor am I a hypochondriac. It's just that the prospect of ceasing to exist after I die is utterly and truly terrifying. I can't remember how I died in my past life, as far as I know i died in my sleep for some inexplicable reason at the ripe old age of twenty. I have no way of understanding the circumstances of my reincarnation, but i'd be a fool to assume that I would be reincarnated with my memories again.

It didn't take long for me to become enthralled by the prospect of immortality. I can't recall a time that I've been so determined to achieve something; I'll do whatever it takes. I'm under no illusions that it will be easy. The only ones in the Naruto series who had immortality, or at least pseudo immortality, were Hidan, Sasori, Orochimaru and Kakuzu. In other words, only S class missing-nin had managed to obtain some measure of immortality. This wasn't surprising, considering techniques relating to immortality were kinjutsu.

* * *

First and foremost, Kure found that the most prudent course of action was to assess the value of each form of immortality.

Hidan's immortality was the only one which practically made him invincible, providing he didn't get dismembered or evaporated, making it seem like an attractive option on the surface.

The problem with it was that it likely required devotion to Jashin. Devotion being the keyword, not faith; that distinction is incredibly important. If it was just a matter of faith, Kure had no problem on that front, as knowing Hidan can survive having his head cut off and having a spear through the heart is more than sufficient for him to believe in Jashin's existence. Devotion however, requires accepting and adhering to whatever insane principles he suspects Jashin demands to be followed, for instance he's pretty sure Hidan was required to regularly kill people and conduct sacrifices. Being required to follow Jashin's principles is the equivalent to being subservient to a nutjob deity that seems to crave death, despair and nothing else.

Kure also had suspicions on just how immortal Hidan was, whilst he knew he couldn't die in combat via ordinary means, he wasn't sure if Hidan was immune to simply dying of old age. It seemed unlikely, but it was certainly possible. After all, judging from Hidan's attitude he was likely relatively young.

In terms of the available forms of immortality, this was certainly the least preferable. Having to follow whatever barbaric tenants Jashin had was one thing, but the fact that Jashin could likely revoke the immortality on a whim and without notice was unacceptable. Which was unfortunate, because interestingly enough Hidan's immortality was the most human.

One of the most interesting parts about Sasori's immortality is that he wasn't required to kill others to extend his life, unlike the other methods of immortality. However, Sasori's method of immortality was inferior to Orochimaru's and Kakuzu's for two reasons. Firstly, being subjected to live in a `container' that didn't even have flesh would feel like some sick form of torture. Secondly, he was incredibly fragile. Not to say he was weak, he was S class for a reason, possessing numerous techniques and abilities to easily decimate his enemies. But his immortality hardly presented him an advantage in combat, other than not feeling pain; all it took was one good shot to the heart and it was game over. He was formidable, but fragile.

Hidan's immortality wasn't even worth considering and Sasori's was a last resort, which would be pursued only in desperation. Which left Orochimaru and Kakuzu.

Frankly, Orochimaru's version of immortality was an enigma, Kure didn't fully grasp how it worked. From what he remembered, it allowed him to transfer his soul into another's body with the caveat that the new body got weaker over time and had to be replaced roughly every three years, and the longer he stayed in the body the more it rejected him. From Kure's perspective it was probably as good as he could hope for; it was incredibly high maintenance, but that's a small price to pay. The only problem was that Orochimaru was the most dangerous and cunning of the lot, and it's not like Kure could just go up to him and ask him nicely if he'd be willing to share a jutsu that he worked on so hard it got him kicked out of the village.

Kakuzu's immortality was almost perfect. The maintenance of having to take the still beating hearts from live shinobi wasn't ideal, but Kure could work with that. Ideally, the whole having multiple hearts thing could be done without simultaneously becoming a tentacle monster, but if that's what it took then it wasn't too bad when considering that it had lot's of practical uses, such as increased combat potential, extra durability, and the ability to reattach limbs. Yep, not bad at all. Stockpiling money should definitely be added to the to-do list.  
~~~~~~~~~~~

 **1 Month old**

Kure despised being held, it was even worse when the person doing the holding wrongly assumed that he would enjoy listening to baby talk or watching them pull ridiculous faces. Even now, a grown man was pulling various faces to try and get a response, did this clown not realise that his lack of reaction indicated disinterest. It was infuriating. Normally Kure was a tactile person, but that was only among those he was close with; otherwise he found it extremely uncomfortable and annoying, he couldn't wait until this man finally subsided with his futile attempts to elicit a response. Unfortunately, this man proved more persistent than most; apparently he was also somewhat important, given that Kure's regular caretakers were calling him "Takao-sama". Kure found that the most effective way to get people off him as a baby was to ignore them, however dread settled in his stomach when he realised that this man seemed to take getting a reaction out of him as some sort of challenge.

Thirty minutes. It took thirty entire minutes for Takao to give up and leave. Takao was clearly eccentric. Kure couldn't decide whether he was impressed at his tenacity or astonished at the ridiculousness of it. He didn't find himself disliking the man though, even after being ignored he was a good sport about it. Much better than the last woman who held him, who was seemingly indignant that she wasn't graced with an appropriate amount of attention. Towards the end Kure was tempted to reward his tenacity with a reaction, but decided against it, considering the last thing he wanted was to encourage others to do the same.

Five minutes later Takao returned, carefully picking Kure up whilst humming a song and bouncing on his toes, a wide grin etched on his face. "Well Kure, looks like it's finally time, i've been looking forward to this all month"

Kure had no idea what was happening, the man had suddenly taken him outside for the first time since he was born, excluding when he travelled from the hospital he was born in. Outside was pitch black, the only source of illumination being the lanterns spread out among the vicinity.

Takao was walking at a lackadaisical pace, clearly unhurried. Before long it became clear that he was intentionally taking his time, given that he had gone in a circle as they were now almost back to their original location. The question was why. Was he simply going for a stroll? No. The man said he was waiting for this all month, and seemed quite excited. He'd be waiting all month and Kure was a month old, was this merely a coincidence? Was he waiting for someone to approach him, a meeting perhaps? Kure was interrupted from his reverie by the man's voice, "It should be fine now, they've had more than long enough to finish the preparations", after that, everything became a blur. Around a minute later Kure had no idea where he was. From what he could summarise, the man likely shunshined among rooftops after his initial jump.

The foreign sensation of traveling at such high speeds was invigorating, it felt like riding a high speed roller coaster. It was Kure's first encounter with the superhuman abilities that are commonplace in this world, he found it fascinating and took great delight in that he'd soon be capable of such feats.

Takao braced his ears for the sound that never came, glancing down, he noticed that rather than crying, as babies are prone to do if they're ever shunshined, Kure's face was marked with pure delight. At this, he couldn't help but roar with laughter "That's the spirit Kure! I'm glad you finally decided to grace your grandad with a smile, if I knew you'd enjoy me running around so much I'd have just done that in the first place instead of trying to contort my face in every way imaginable. I'd run about some more, but it's about time for your baptism to formally become the clans heir to commence and i'd rather not get chewed out by your father for being late."

Unsurprisingly, this new information set Kure's mind whirring. Knowing this man was his grandad was useful, but it's importance paled in comparison to what else he said. Clan heir. Kure was ecstatic, whilst he didn't have time to consider the full implications, he knew being a clan heir, regardless of the clan, would go a long way in helping him achieve his goals. It meant that already he was guaranteed to have protection, status and resources at his disposal.

As for the baptism, it was probably safe to assume it wouldn't proceed in a traditional sense, considering religion didn't seem prevalent within Konoah. It was likely a ritual of some sorts, officially marking his position within the clan. Sensing that they had stopped moving, Kure looked up to notice that they had arrived at their destination, in front of him was one of the largest buildings he had yet to see in Konoha, likely his clans hall.

A man stood slouched against the entrance to the hall, immediately straightening as he saw Takao. Takao didn't seem interested in reproaching him for his actions, instead electing to ask whether the preparations were complete. The man replied in the affirmative, then we waited as he entered the hall to announce our arrival.

Entering the hall after being given the go-ahead, Kure was astonished by the sheer amount of people present. An eerily silence stretched throughout the room, despite the abundance of people there was dead silence. All that could be heard were the footsteps of Takao.

Takao walked with purpose, the crowd quickly parting to make way for him as he took long strides to the end of the hall, in which he ascended the steps of a platform. Once on the platform, Kure was handed to a man he recognised well. Fugaku Uchiha. Upon being placed into Fugaku's hands Kure noticed who was stood next to him, Mikoto Uchiha, his mother. At the time of his birth he was overwhelmed with a whirlwind of emotions so he wasn't sure, but he did think the woman who looked to be his mother looked similar to Mikoto. However, at the time his memory on her appearance was foggy, and after not seeing her since his birth he assumed she was simply a lookalike, as he doubted the Mikoto he knew would have parted from her son so soon after birth.

Kure's eyes widened as he noticed the loving gaze and warm smile given to him by Fugaku. His look was unmistakable; it was the look of a parent seeing their son for the first time. Fugaku placed Kure onto an adjacent chair, which was surrounded by four braziers, with sets of two positioned slightly in front and behind the chair. Kure's breath hitched seeing the scene before him, he could see what he thought was the entire Uchiha clan watching; they had all come to see their heir. Distracted by the scene before him, Kure noticed Fugaku was no longer besides him, instead he was in the middle of the hall, positioned behind a pile of thick timber placed within a makeshift pit, meanwhile Mikoto started lighting the braziers surrounding him. Kure could immediately feel the heat emanating from the flames. Whilst it was hot, it wasn't uncomfortable. On the contrary, it was actually quite pleasant; it was a nice contrast to the cool room temperature, like sitting next to a campfire in chilly conditions. As the fourth and final brazier was lit, Fugaku instantly went through numerous hand seals, his hands a blur, subsequently a torrent of flames were expelled from his mouth, igniting the timber. Afterwards, the hall erupted with cheers, marking the completion of the ceremony to formally recognise the new heir of the Uchiha.

Kure eagerly took in the spectacle, watching everyone congregating around the fire and chatting animatedly. It felt surreal to be the source of such a large celebration, the feeling was indescribable. The joy in the atmosphere was palpable, to the extent to which Kure found himself jealous he couldn't partake in the festivities. Kure wasn't exactly close to any of his family members in the past, with the exception of his parents; but seeing that he now had such a large extended family that were here just to celebrate his birth he couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie towards them.

Despite that, it's not like he knew any of them personally, so he didn't have any real attachment towards them. He wouldn't let them interfere with his goal. He'd play the good little ninja and build his reputation, and barring a ridiculous suicide mission he'd follow orders, for now. But unlike most of the ninja populace he had no intentions of letting himself being indoctrinated by propaganda to think that self-sacrifice for the village is the is unequivocal choice. As always, first and foremost he'd look out for number one; himself.

* * *

Rating may be changed to M in the future, if it is changed then I'll notify you at the start of the chapter that leads to its change.

This chapter was brought to you by: the two cakes principle.

50 Points to anyone who catches how I hinted towards Kure being an Uchiha.

Shameless plug: Go check out my other fic, "Worse than trash". It's Kakashi centric.


	2. Chapter 2

Naturally, Kure's first reaction to finding out that he was the Uchiha heir was thinking about the implications this would have down the line. Did this mean he was born in place of Itachi? Or perhaps it meant that one of Itachi or Sasuke would later become his little brother; of course, it also meant that both of them could be born, or neither. On a personal level, Kure found that he didn't really care, whatever happened it would just swap one headache with another. Regardless of what happened, the potential implications were significant.

The more Kure pondered them, the more he realised how many things could change. For instance, if Itachi wasn't born then the massacre wouldn't happen, at least by Itachi's hand, but the Uchiha would still likely plan their revolt. Whereas if he was, then Kure might have to deal with his genius of a little brother trying to murder him, assuming he doesn't develop an attachment towards Kure like he did Sasuke.

Then again, it's reckless to assume everything, or anything for that matter, will play out as it did in the story; butterfly effect and all that. Kure's mere presence could have changed so many things. Due to this, Kure ultimately decided that the matter wasn't worth thinking about, for now, he needed to play it by ear until he had more information; it made him anxious to lack so much vital information, but there's not much he could do about it other than wait. However, what he did know was that he had no intention of letting the massacre happen regardless of who would be doing the killing, it would ultimately hinder his long-term plans, which was inexcusable.

Preventing the eradication of the Uchiha would ensure that Kure would be guaranteed a position of influence in the future, moreover, the abundance of available Uchiha eyes would prevent Orochimaru from specifically targeting Kure, which is important as confronting Orochimaru at a young age would be a recipe for disaster. That encounter is one that Kure would rather put on the back-burner until he was sufficiently strong.

On a more positive note, Kure was optimistic. He was quite fond of the prospect of being the heir to the Uchiha clan, considering the plethora of benefits it would bring. The Uchiha clan were powerful and influential. From what he could remember, even if their power may have decayed from the heights it was at during the founding of Konoha, they will still the most formidable clan within Konoha, only truly rivalled by the Hyuga. Either way, they offered status, protection and resources. Honestly, the Uchiha would have been among his top three choices if he had his pick on which Konoha clan to be born into. He was grateful that he was born into a clan at all, being born in a civilian family, or as an orphan, would have made his ultimate goal significantly harder to achieve.

It would be annoying having to meet the expectations that the clan would have of him, but ultimately he believed that the majority of them would align with his goals anyway, therefore there wasn't too much to be upset about. Other than being born into a clan that should up being annihilated within the next decade anyway, but there was plenty of time to solve that issue.

* * *

The first few years of Kure's life were dreadfully dull. Currently, he's still an only child, although he knew that his parents were talking about having another. There wasn't exactly an abundance of entertainment to be found for a child in the elemental nations, and his body was still too young to undergo any serious training routines. For now, he was mostly stuck practising the basics.

Typically children entertained themselves by socialising and "playing ninja", but Kure didn't want to subject himself to such humiliation. Building rapport with volatile children wasn't yet worth the hassle, in a few years It would be worth it to foster and maintain relationships with some of them, but not now.

Thus, Kure found his entertainment in the form of messing around with his chakra. It was still boring, but at least it was productive. His boredom gave him an abundance of time to manipulate his chakra in all sorts of different manners. He started with the standard leaf exercise, which requires you to use chakra to get a leaf to stick to your head, as that's the one he remembered from the show. From this, he progressed to getting objects to stick on different parts of his body simultaneously. It was much harder than it sounded. Directing your chakra towards one object on your body is easy, but having it split towards different objects is incredibly draining when you're not used to it. The better Kure got at manipulating his chakra the easier it became to direct it towards multiple objects at once. Kure hypothesised that this was due to Chakra being like a muscle - the more you exercised it the stronger and larger it became, and like with muscles, some people (read: those lucky enough to be born within a clan) will have a genetic predisposition that facilitates faster growth.

The leaf exercise and its variations were a great way to improve chakra control whilst allowing for continued progression. Kure was confident that he wouldn't lose to anyone his age in regards to chakra control, most children weren't aware of the exercise, and even if they were they wouldn't have the mental fortitude or diligence to practise it for so long.

* * *

After seeing her son's dedication to improving himself, Mikoto had soon encouraged him to join her in daily stretching sessions after waking up and eating breakfast.

After a few sessions, Mikoto realised that Kure hadn't complained even once. This caught her by surprise, given the horror stories she has heard about other kunoichi trying to get their children to start to take their training more seriously.

She had mixed feelings about Kure being so dutiful and attentive at such a young age. On one hand, it boded well for his future. His determination to improving himself was endearing and makes it likely that he will grow to be a strong shinobi that her clan will be proud to call their leader. Yet at the same time, she worried that his determination was borderline obsessive, which made her concerned about his growth socially.

Mikoto had tried both subtle and non-subtle methods to get him to interact with children his age but she soon found that it was a meaningless endeavour. Her son was surprisingly astute and there were only so many ways she could attempt to trick him into playing with other children, and if she forced him to attend gatherings with other children he would simply sulk on his own, making an intentional effort to isolate himself from the other children as if to say `don't do this again or this will be the result'.

After confronting him about the importance of social interaction, she could understand his perspective. To him, they were just a bunch of immature children that would make juvenile jokes and play lame games that they somehow found fun. It was unfortunate. She can do a lot of things, but she can't change how he rightfully perceives children. For now, she'd just continue to support him and wait until he's older before taking a more active role in encouraging him to interact with others.

* * *

Upon being asked to join Mikoto in her daily stretching sessions, Kure saw no reason to refuse, so it soon became tradition.

Personally, Kure didn't see any downsides to it. Compared to the rest of his training stretching was a cakewalk, not only did it offer practical benefits, but it didn't involve putting himself through excruciating mental and physical exhaustion. Plus, in his past life he had always wondered what it would be like to be super flexible, so he'd hoped to sate that curiosity in this life.

After stretching daily for a month or so it simply became routine, it actually felt good to stretch out in the morning and it offered him some time to further bond with Mikoto. It actually became something he looked forward to. Unfortunately, this wasn't something he could say for the rest of his training. Kure could never understand how people would feel better after exercising. From a mental standpoint he could somewhat relate, as it did feel satisfying to know that by pushing his limits his physical capabilities and skills would improve; but other than that all it did for him was make him feel sore, hungry and tired. But alas, the obvious benefits it brought made it a necessary sacrifice. It's better to feel like shit temporarily then be killed in combat due to a lack of skill after all.

Upon finishing his hamstring stretches, he looked over at Mikoto, who was about to lead them into the next exercise. He decided that today he'd find out the answer to something that's been on his mind lately.

"Uhm, Mikoto?" She wasn't phased or bothered by the usage of her actual name, Kure had used mum/dad interchangeably with their real names, it was something he started doing as a teen in his past life, and the habit carried over to this one; although in this one his parents did request that they were only called them by their names in private, which is a request that Kure respected and adhered to.

"Yes, Kure?" She replied.

"What is the average age that an Uchiha unlocks their Sharingan?"

This question alarmed Mikoto, a frown marring her features, she didn't want Kure to become obsessive about quickly awakening his Sharingan. "You shouldn't be thinking of it that way. Sometimes the Sharingan never awakens, you'll just cause yourself undue stress if you think about it as a point of comparison. There have been plenty of Uchiha that were formidable even without awakening their Sharingan. You'll be assessed on your achievements, not what age you awaken your kekkei genkai"

Whilst it was the truth, what she didn't mention was that for the heir of the Uchiha not to have awakened their blood limit would have been looked upon with disdain by the more narrow-minded, or `elitist' of the Uchiha, which wasn't a small number due to the Uchiha generally having excessive pride over their birthright.

"You didn't answer my question" Kure immediately replied, crossing his arms dismissively.

Mikoto's eye twitched. "I know, and I'm not going to. Honestly, trust me when I say that it's something that you don't yet need to concern yourself with. For now, just continue applying yourself as you have been and you'll see the results. For many in our clan the early awakening of their eyes led to their downfall, as many become arrogant because of them and subsequently over-relied on them, using them as a crutch. Your eyes will awaken naturally in time, just be patient and wait for it to happen." Mikoto said firmly, starting the next sequence of stretches and locking eyes with Kure to indicate that he should follow along.

"Fine. But out of curiosity, would it bother you if I never awaken my Sharingan?" Kure asked flatly."

Despite his dismissive countenance, Kure was surprised to find that he actually cared about her answer. He had come to respect and care for his newfound parents to a certain extent, especially Mikoto, which may have been inevitable considering he was also close to his mother in his past life.

"Of course not" She said, her smile reaching her eyes. She looked sincere, but Kure knew she was a phenomenal actor, for the most part he would see what she wanted him to see.

That being said, Kure felt like he now knew her enough to know that she genuinely cares for him, and she doesn't seem the type to let a kekkei genkai, or lack thereof, change that. He can't say that he's looking forward to the day were he might have to become a missing-nin and abandon her.

* * *

AN: Hey everyone, sorry for the long period between chapters. I'd say that I've simply been far too busy, but that's a major pet peeve of mine. In reality, I just choose to spend my free time on other things.

On the bright side though, the next chapter should come much much sooner, as it's already planned and somewhat written out, plus this week I have a lot more free time than normal.

Not at all happy with this chapter, the next one will hopefully turn out a lot better. At least now I can at least start moving things along faster. It's super hard to write about a guy in a kids body that only wants to train. It just led to a bunch of exposition dumps.

Spoiler: Next chapter will have him in the academy.

Thanks so much for everyone who reviewed/ favourited/followed, you motivated me to keep writing this story despite my extreme lack of confidence. Love ya all, cya soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**5 Years old**

At 5 years old Kure had managed to successfully maintain a carefully thought out routine and training regimen. Whilst his relationships with anyone outside of the clan is practically non-existent, he was content with his current progress. He was well-liked within his clan and already recognised as being ahead of his peers. Despite this, Kure currently found himself dissatisfied, as he was just sooooo bored. Lately, everything just seemed so tedious and monotonous – wake up, eat, train, sleep, repeat. It was driving him insane. If not for it being necessary to achieve his goal, he'd have quit a long time ago.

Today, however, would be different. Up until now, Kure had only focused on training and honing the basics. For instance, he learned like how to utilise different combat styles, and how to accurately throw a kunai at a target. Moreover, he devised a consistent routine which allowed him to gain expert command over his chakra, using it to enhance his speed, strength and technique. Whilst mundane, Kure was supremely confident that mastering the basics was paramount, and that it would be the best starting point.

Now that he was satisfied with his relative mastery over the basics related to Taijutsu, Kure decided it was time to move onto another set of basics. In other words, the Ninjutsu basics. The target Kure set himself for the day was to learn the Jutsu taught at the academy. Given their ubiquitous nature, finding books detailing their usage was an easy feat. Having already studied the theory behind them, Kure was confident that he'd be able to become proficient at them without too much trouble.

First in line was the clone technique. Kure couldn't help but grin in anticipation. He was finally about to break the monotonous grind and use his first Jutsu! In other words, he was about to perform real life magic!

Reiterating the instructions to perform the Jutsu in his head, Kure readied himself to perform the hand seals that he had already practised thousands of times. Embarrassingly enough, he partly has Kakashi to thank for this. One night before bed while mulling over Naruto lore he was recalling Kakashi's fight with Zabuza, in which they flashed through a bunch of hand seals to summon two water dragons. It was this memory which motivated him to start performing nightly hand seal sessions, in which he performed random sequences of them as fast as possible. Performing them made him feel a bit silly, but it's better to feel silly than inadequate.

Just as he was about to channel chakra and perform the hand seals, he was interrupted by an Uchiha genin that he's pretty sure he has never met before. Nevertheless, the genin is obviously familiar enough with who Kure is. Displaying sufficient remorse for interrupting the training session, he explains that Mikoto is calling for him.

Unfortunate timing, but oh well.

Entering his home, Kure was greeted by the sight of a smiling Mikoto and Fugaku. Which was honestly a bit unnerving.

"You needed me?" Kure said bluntly and without preamble, letting a bit of the frustration from being interrupted show.

"I think you mean, "I'm home", Mikoto chided disapprovingly, whilst Fugaku simply nodded. "But yes, we did. I know you hate being interrupted from your training, but we have something important we wanted to tell you"

"Okay… I'm all ears" Kure said, slightly disconcerted.

"I'm pregnant! Mikoto said quickly, unable to contain her excitement. "We just came back from the hospital so we're sure. Soon you'll have a little brother."

Kure couldn't help simply stare, the uncertainty giving rise to a tempestuous onslaught of emotions.

After a brief pause, Kure collected himself enough to ask the important question. "Umm, have you thought of a name yet?

"Yep! It's Sasuke" she grinned.

* * *

A/N: Well, it's been a while. This is a part of a longer chapter, but It's not finished yet and I'm about to sleep so I figured I might as well just post this extract, given that it ends at a decent point.

Anyway, the part about most of this chapter already being written/planned turned out to be false, as after reading it I decided that I was taking it in a direction I didn't want to explore and thus I deleted it all.

On a more positive note, I'll have a longer chapter for you soon. Hopefully tomorrow, but within the next 7 days at the latest. Not that I'd blame any of you for not believing my estimates. Ha… sorry about that.


	4. Chapter 4

**5 Years old**

A few weeks after the announcement about Sasuke's birth, which basically confirmed to Kure that he was born in place of Itachi, Kure found himself doing his daily stretches with Mikoto. A routine that had thus far managed to survive the test of time and has acted as a good bonding experience for the two.

Abruptly, Fugaku entered the room. It was an unusual, but not unheard-of occurrence, so Kure didn't pay him any mind.

Until he spoke: "Mikoto, let me speak to Kure. Alone."

Mikoto seemed to understand the situation, nodding and quietly leaving.

It was only once Mikoto left that Kure let his eyes wander expectantly to Fugaku. Kure's eyes widened at the sight, Fugaku's eyes were red. Not red as in, he's just activated his Sharingan red, but as in he's just been crying red. His sombre disposition and puffy eyelids only confirmed these suspicions.

"Come. Follow me." Fugaku said flatly, breaking the silence.

Unnerved at the lack of explanation, and acknowledging that it wasn't a suggestion, Kure mutedly followed him. He considered saying something, but he honestly didn't know what to say, he was never good at this emotional crap, and he didn't exactly have much to go on. At least by saying nothing he wouldn't say the wrong thing.

After walking at a brisk pace for around 5 minutes the silence started to become too awkward, so Kure made an attempt at conversation.

"So uh, where are we going?" he asked.

Fugaku didn't opt to respond, instead merely pointing at a large building just around the corner. Konoha's hospital.

Resisting the urge to ask too many questions that would probably shortly be answered, Kure simply kept quiet.

Entering the hospital Fugaku strode over to the receptionist with Kure in tow.

"I'm taking my son to see him. Don't permit anyone else entry until we leave." Fugaku said sternly, making it clear that it was a demand, not a request.

"Of course, Fugaku-sama." was the polite reply.

Silence reigned supreme for the remainder of the short journey, until they entered a small room within the hospital. It was scarcely decorated, the only object of note being a mobile operating table, which seemingly had a person lying on it. Only they were completely covered.

"I hadn't planned on your first time being this… personal, but you're remarkably mature for your age, and given your closeness I'm sure you'd want to see for yourself."

Before Kure could wonder what was meant by `first time' Fugaku suddenly tugged the sheets covering the person, unveiling the person as Takao.

Allowing his eyes to scan the sight before him Kure felt his breath hitch, a lump quickly forming in his throat. Takao was dead, of that there was no doubt.

Kure kept his eyes locked on the sight before him, a torrent of questions racing in his mind.

His face had been cleanly split. A diagonal cut ranged from Takao's right eye to the bottom of his chin. Split wasn't an understatement; the cut had gone cleanly through some of his skull. The cut was certainly done by no mere Kunai, unless it was enhanced with wind chakra. Either that or Kenjutsu were the likely culprits.

Allowing his eyes to travel downwards releveled a mass of lacerations of varying sizes, in addition to third and fourth-degree burns, likely from explosive tags or fire Jutsu. Kure couldn't find a patch of visible skin that seemed injury-free.

Whatever happened, it was clear that Takao didn't go down without a fight. The battered state of his body made it clear that whoever killed him had to work damn hard for it.

Fugaku calmly assessed Kure's mental state, debating as to whether to re-cover Takao. He decided against it, he had already made his decision, and he wasn't one for half measures.

Willing himself to speak, Kure finally found his voice. "Who did this?" he said, unable to keep his voice from breaking.

Fugaku's eyebrows shot up. The first question wasn't `how' or `why', but `who', which certainly isn't what he expected, from a child no less. Against his own will and better judgement, he couldn't help the small involuntary smile that crept upon his face. Before it could be noticed, he quickly eliminated it, returning his face to the stony visage it had been just moments before.

The smile was grossly inappropriate, but he filled him with pride to know that his son responded the exact same way he had when he heard the news of his father's death.

Not able to find the desire, nor a convincing reason to refuse to answer the question, Fugaku shared what he knew. "We don't know. What we do know that it was an Iwa-nin that only had one eye. He and Takao engaged in single combat. Takao's team were setting camp while he scouted ahead, Takao's team reported that as they began to worry, Takao stumbled into their camp heavily injured, the only information he could relay before succumbing to his injuries was that the one-eyed nin was heavily injured and fled, and that Iwa also had ninja stationed at a camp to the west."

"I see." Was all Kure could bring himself to say.

Realising that he was close to crying, Kure closed his eyes and forcibly tried to calm himself down, he didn't want to be consoled as if he were actually a child. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't prevent the minute shakes coming from his body, stemming from both grief and rage.

Throughout his time growing up, Takeo, along with his parents, was one of the only people that never treated him like a child or with reverence, which Kure was eternally thankful for. Being looked down upon by other adults just because of his age infuriated him, given that it wasn't his actual age. Takeo, despite his goofy disposition and position as the former clan head, talked to him as an equal. He even offered to teach Kure his signature Jutsu once he graduated from the academy, which he had taught no-one else, not even Fugaku. Kure knew that it was this Jutsu that resulted in him sustaining so many injuries from the enemy before falling. Kure respected the man immensely.

Kure was cynical about the morality of people. Believing that most people were selfish at heart. Despite this, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Takeo would die for those of the Uchiha clan, even if he didn't know them personally.

To see him reduced to a decimated corpse was gut-wrenching.

Takao was strong. Very strong. Kure was certain of that much; his old age and former position were a testament to that. It was because of this that despite his grief Kure couldn't control the sardonic voice at the back of his head telling him that even ninja were nothing more than mere lumps of flesh, easily eliminated, so unexceptionally mortal.

All the more reason to transcend mortality, he thought resolutely.

"I'm going back. Follow me or stay if you wish. Just make sure to re-cover him when you leave. Tonight, he must stay here so that they can complete the autopsy. Okay?" Fugaku said gently, interrupting Kure from his thoughts.

All Kure could do is nod.

Satisfied, Fugaku made his exit, purposely making his footsteps heard and shutting the door closed on his way out.

Hearing the door close, Kure opened his eyes, once again examining Takao's corpse, burning its image into his memory.

Looking down at his hands, Kure's eyes widened when he realised that he could see his own flow of chakra. Glancing at his reflection in the metal on the operating table, he saw red eyes staring back at him.

A few minutes passed in silence, with Kure simply staring at Takeo's lifeless corpse, taking everything in.

Then, Kure looked at his reflection, making sure that he had correctly deactivated his Sharingan. Upon confirmation of this, he spoke. "Forgive me," he said "but you know I share your hatred of hospitals. I'll head home and think of you there. It's what you'd have wanted anyhow."

Those were his final words as he departed. This was the day that reminded Kure of the harsh realities that came with being a ninja. It was also the day he awakened his Sharingan.

* * *

 **8 Years old.**

Finding himself awoken from his slumber from a ray of sunshine cascading across his face, Kure couldn't help but groan. Barely processing that today was his first day at the academy, he forced himself to get up.

Other than Sasuke's birth and Takao's death, the rest of the time leading up to Kure's first day at the academy went as expected. The Kyuubi attack occurred, the charka of which felt horrifying and malevolent, but other than that the time passed relatively uneventfully.

Groggily rising to his feet, he cursed his laziness. Yesterday when he returned from training, he was exhausted, so he elected to lie down for a few minutes to `rest his eyes' before showering and then sleeping. Only, a few minutes evidently turned into a few hours as he drifted off, leading to the present in which he feels like shit. Much to his dismay, he had left the curtains wide open, allowing the sheer brightness of the sun to assault his senses, giving him a migraine. To make matters worse he could feel his clothes clinging tightly to his body due to a gross amount of sweat.

So now Kure finds himself sleep deprived, suffering from a migraine, and feeling like a complete mess. In other words, he's put himself into an outstanding position to enjoy his first day at the academy.

Hopefully, a shower would prove a potent remedy.

In the process of discarding his clothing, Kure was stopped short by a shout. His parents must have heard him get up.

"Kure! Are you out of bed? I'm making myself some breakfast, so let me know if you want me to make you some too." It was Mikoto, Sasuke and Fugaku must also be awake, otherwise, she wouldn't have risked waking them up with her shouting.

"No, I'm fine thanks! I'll just have a light snack before I go." Kure shouted back.

After a quick shower, Kure felt miles better, albeit still a bit tired. Heading downstairs, he greeted Fugaku and lazily took a seat. Deciding that he'd be a good son, he shouted Sasuke over and played with him, allowing Fugaku to read the paper in peace.

5 minutes later Mikoto entered the room, silently taking a seat and placing her breakfast to one side.

Craning his head to get a better look at her, Kure could clearly see that she was upset.

Noting that she was being examined, she made eye contact. "Sorry Kure, I know I said that I'd walk with you to the academy while it's your first day, but the Hokage has seen fit to summon me." Mikoto said, not even trying to hide her irritation.

"It's fine, I don't mind." Kure replied easily. "…On second thought, I'm terribly upset that you're going to abandon me on my first day at the academy, buuut if you let me choose what we're going to have for dinner tonight then I think I could forgive you".

Mikoto laughed. "Sure, I suppose letting you choose dinner will make up for making you go to the big scary academy all on your lonesome". Mikoto said playfully.

"Anyway, I'd best get going." Mikoto said, popping a final piece of toast in her mouth before walking to the door. "I'll see you all later".

"Bye". Was the simultaneous reply from Kure and Fugaku, while Sasuke instead elected to ruthlessly pull on Kure's shirt to try and reattract his attention.

"Damn, needy little brat ain't ya?" Kure muttered jokingly.

Glancing at the clock, Kure figured he had about another hour to keep Sasuke entertained before he should head off himself.

Spending the hour playing with Sasuke and talking with Fugaku, Kure prepared to head out. As he was getting his shoes on at the door, he heard Fugaku approaching him from behind.

"Want me to walk you there in place of your mother?" Fugaku questioned.

"What about Sasuke? Kure asked.

"I'll just get the caretaker to mind him, it's not like I'll be gone long." Fugaku said bluntly.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks for the offer though." Kure replied. "I already know the way and it's not too far, a clan heir enrolling in the academy is an inevitability rather than an achievement, so I don't see the need to make a big deal of it. Plus, you don't strike me as the sentimental type that would get joy from seeing me walk into a pit of annoying children"

At this, Fugaku couldn't help but chuckle. "Hah! You're more accurate with that assessment than you realise. On the first day of the academic year it's always teeming with civilian kids who think that learning how to be a ninja will be a cakewalk. Also, don't tell your mother, but you're right with the sentimentality bit too; although it'll be a different story when you graduate and become a full-fledged ninja."

"Oh? I'll look forward to seeing you all teary-eyed when I show you my Hitai-ate then". Kure taunted.

"Pfft, don't count on it. Anyway, you should leave now. You should be early on your first day." Fugaku said seriously.

"Gotcha, I'm going then. I'm just gonna run upstairs and get some kunai and then I'll be gone." Kure said, running up the stairs out of sight, neglecting to mention that he only just realised that he didn't have any on him.

* * *

Approaching the Academy, Kure couldn't help but take note of the sheer amount of people present.

Keeping a lookout for familiar faces, Kure instantly spotted Mizuki jovially chatting with a bunch of excitable kids who were making a futile effort to convince him to lend them his Hitai-ate.

Minus Mizuki, Kure didn't recognise any other familiar faces. From looking at the crowds, he realised that failure to immediately recognise anyone noteworthy within his year would be unsurprising, given the surprising number of students that have actually enrolled.

Surveying his surroundings, Kure was bombarded with the sight of 8 year old children running around as far as the eye can see without a care in the world. Kure was certain that most of them wouldn't even last half of the year. The only other sight of note was a makeshift podium that had been set up just in front of the academy, overlooking the field that they were currently situated on just outside of it. Kure imagined this is where they'd receive instructions as to where to go, and perhaps listen to a sappy or supposedly motivational speech.

For now, Kure just wanted to observe. Thus, lest any of the civilian kids catch sight of the Uchiha emblem on his back, Kure blended into the shadows, leaning his back against the walls of the academy. Content on waiting until instructions were disseminated, Kure simply observed the carefree children, keeping an eye out for any who look like they may possess a speck of talent.

Before Kure left, Fugaku had already told him to expect a plethora of hopeful (read: deluded) children, who had parents who either shared their delusion or simply went along with the child's desires because it wasn't worth the hassle of personally extinguishing their dreams.

From their parent's perspective, there was little reason to be resolute against sending their child to the academy for a brief period. The reason for this was threefold:

Firstly, they'd be showing their support to the village. Secondly, there was a minuscule chance that their kid would actually have the talent necessary to succeed, despite their civilian background and upbringing. And thirdly, the quality of the teaching at the academy was renown among the civilian population for a reason, as the standard surpassed even the private civilian schools that cost a fortune to enrol in. This reason alone made it worth sending their children to the academy even if they ultimately failed to pass muster with the academies teachers and ended up expelled.

* * *

Walking up the podium steps, Eizo couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh, internally chastising his own lack of discipline.

Back when he was younger, he was more talented than most of his peers. Never a prodigy per se, but certainly not one to scoff at. Yet due to his poor discipline he neglected to ever seriously engross himself in his training, and much to his dismay, the adage "Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard" had proven true. Despite his superior talent, he graduated as a bang average ninja, middle of the pack in both his theory and physical scores.

Now, a wise person would have seen the error of his ways and bucked up. But not Eizo. Lack of aspirations made him lax, and before he knew it the years passed him by. Which leads to today, in which he finds himself about to address a group of brats. He's never been overly fond of kids but teaching at the academy pays more than the level of missions he's trusted to undertake, not to mention it's much safer and allows him to live a slightly more indulgent lifestyle.

Approaching the top of the podium, Eizo forced himself to take a deep breath. He did this every year, yet each year he let himself wallow in what could have been. Or what should have been, he thought angrily.

Advancing towards the front of the podium, he quickly scanned the crowd, taking note of any kids that were paying enough attention to know that they were about to be addressed.

Making sure his posture was impeccable, given the number of eyes that would be on him, he took a deep breath.

"Silence!" he bellowed.

The effect was instant. What was moments ago a field of excitable children chatting loud enough to make for an effective torture technique, was now a field full of mutes.

"Alright, I won't repeat myself, so make sure you're attentive". Eizo said confidently.

"Assuming that you have all read the academies introductory book, which I certainly hope so as it was mandatory, you would know you will be assigned into temporary groups that you will stay in until the first culling, which will be in three months' time when those of you who're clearly not cut out for being a ninja will be expelled, normally that means the number here today will be cut in half."

Ignoring the murmurs in the crowd that his last statement elicited, Eizo unfolded a piece of paper he had kept in his pocket, then continued.

"All right, using the identification numbers that were delivered to you in conjunction with your introductory book, I will assign you all into your groups. Group A: Numbers 1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26…91 and 96. Group B: 2, 7, 12…"

Noting the obvious pattern, Kure understood he would be placed within group B and tuned out the rest of the group readings. Instead, he spent the time observing a nearby Inuzuka who was lying face up in the grass with her eyes closed. At least Kure assumes that it's an Inuzuka, given the paint markings on her face, although a dog was notably absent. Kure genuinely couldn't discern whether she was actually asleep.

Realising that Eizo was done with the assignments, Kure tuned back in.

"Anyone who has forgotten their number or failed to remember it in the first place report to a member of staff immediately. You all have a brief period to socialise or say goodbye to your parents, as within the next five minutes each groups instructor for the day will come and collect them. Spoiler: group D, you'll be with me. That's all." Ending as abruptly as he started, Eizo walked back into the academy.

How pointless Kure thought, as if anyone would be stupid enough to forget their number, given how hard it was emphasised within the book to remember it. It was stated numerous times that those who didn't would be punished.

This thought was then interrupted by a small crowd of children running past him, towards a nearby Chunin. Kure had to force himself not to facepalm, although he couldn't help but mutter "idiots" under his breath. He immediately remembered each of their faces and vowed not to trust them with anything of import.

To his amusement he then overheard the Inuzuka ask someone what was going on, evidently, she had just woken up. Noticing that she was about to head to the Chunin, he stopped her.

"I'm guessing that you're going to find out what group your number is in? "I saw you sleeping." Kure said.

"Uh, yeah." the Inuzuka said sheepishly, face flushed from being caught in the act. "I didn't sleep much last night. Too excited." she confided.

"What's your number?" Kure asked.

"39." She immediately replied.

"You're in group D then." Kure said confidently, not wanting to make it seem as if he were simply guessing.

"How'd you… never mind. Thanks!" she beamed.

"You're welcome. I'll count that as my good deed for the day. Well, see you around; I'm gonna walk around for a bit." Kure said, eager to move around lest he is stuck in a classroom for the rest of the day.

"Wait! What's your name?" she asked.

"It's Kure. And yours?"

"It's Kana. Kana Inuzuka." she said with a warm smile.

"Well, nice to meet you Kana. You're from a clan, so I'm sure we'll meet again soon enough." Kure said.

"Promise that you'll also survive the so-called culling?" Kana asked earnestly. "It'd suck if I never got to return the favour."

"Don't worry, I'm from a clan too. Cya around." Kure said whilst turning around and offering a final wave, knowing that the Uchiha emblem displayed on his back would pre-emptively answer her next question.

* * *

Kure's instructor was the first to arrive.

"Group B, you'll be with me! Follow along and we'll get started immediately." Came a shout from an unimposing man clad in Chunin attire.

At this, Kure swiftly closed his distance to the man, allowing him to follow along unhindered through the narrow corridors of the academy rather than getting caught up in the inevitable stampede. Two others in his group had the same idea, both Hyuga.

Tailing his instructor in silence, Kure ignored the excited chatter behind him, coming from his soon to be classmates. After about a minute of walking, they arrived outside the classroom.

In front of the door to the classroom, the instructor turned around and gave a disarming smile.

"Ah that's right, I didn't introduce myself yet did I?" I'll be your instructor for the first term, you may call me Jirou." He said, loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"Pick a seat and stick with it for the rest of the term. I didn't go through the trouble of making a seating plan, as I trust that none of you are stupid enough to misbehave."

Relieved at his previous decision of getting to the front, Kure entered the classroom and quickly found a seat in the corner on the furthest row. Naturally, he went for the corner next to the window. In contrast, the two Hyuga studiously took two seats at the front.

Satisfied with his choice, Kure sat down and began assessing his instructor. Kure couldn't help but find him unremarkable and rather plain. He looked like Ibiki, if Ibiki were scrawny and lacked scars that is.

After everyone was seated, Jirou explained what they should expect within their first 3 months, which would make up their first term at the academy. Grimly noting that for many it would be their only term.

The syllabus for the first academic term, in other words until what's unofficially referred to as the `culling' was rather dull to say the least.

The syllabus contained only a fraction of the subjects that would later be taught. The core subjects for the first term were language, math, PE, geography, and history.

History, a diluted version of history anyway, was supposedly going to be largely focused on. Unsurprisingly of course, Konoha wanted to educate, or rather indoctrinate, as much as their populous as possible.

According to Fugaku, the first term was a sham, the real ninja training began after the first culling, as it wasn't wise to teach those who'd live their lives as civilians about ninja affairs. It didn't take a genius to deduce why, the last thing Konoha needed were civilians becoming adept at poison making or espionage.

* * *

 **3 Months later.**

Kure had found the first 3 months of the academy mind-numbingly boring, and mostly a waste of time. Anyone with talent seemed to share his view, as each subject had obviously been watered-down in order to cater to the wannabe ninja civilians. Thankfully, it was almost time for the culling, were those aforementioned civilians would be promptly discarded, then they could finally learn something useful.

To Kure's dismay, even PE was watered-down, focusing solely on student's Taijutsu and teamworking skills. These skills were graded based on both on students results in exercises and their instructor's own evaluation.

There were also daily spars that were graded, with the results being displayed publicly. Kure was glad for this at least, as it'd help him build his reputation. However, Kure only got to spar with those in his own group, group A, and those in group B. Similarly, group C only got to spar with C and D, and so forth.

Which was frankly irritating, as save for one person excluding himself, Kure didn't think that there was anyone particularly talented in groups A or B.

In the present, Kure found himself about to compete in the last match of the first academic term in the academy.

Meaningless to Kure, but everything to his opponent. Kure didn't have a perfect record, losing one of his three matches that he had against a Nara that was in group B.

Nevertheless, Kure was already secured top position in group A and B's combined class rankings, being so diligent in his training from such a young age was paying dividends.

Kure's current opponent, Taiki, was near the bottom of the class rankings, desperate for a win. Yesterday, students that were unsuccessful in surviving the culling were informed of their fate. Taiki however, was not one of these students. He had just barely managed to get high enough scores in his theory, to compensate for his slightly below average (relative to those who survived the culling) physical scores.

Despite this, Kure had overheard Taiki's earlier conversation with his parents: If he loses, he must quit the academy. His parents wanted him to take over their family business, believing that he didn't have the potential to be a ninja, given that he had only barely managed to receive high enough scores to progress onto the next academic term. This however didn't dissuade Taiki. His desire to be a ninja was clear, Taiki knew that he currently had no chance of victory, thus he pleaded with his parents not to set such an impossible task, knowing they'd make him leave the academy if he lost.

Kure was conflicted. On one hand, he toyed with the idea of throwing the match. It meant nothing to him, but losing would damage his reputation, if only temporarily, and in turn, his clan's reputation. Both of which were incredibly important to maintain, especially given Kure's lofty goals; Kure understood this fact well. Yet he found it frustrating, who were his parents to decide he didn't have the aptitude to become a decent ninja. In his past life, Kure was a bit of a `slow starter' himself, being quite dim in is youth and then starting to excel ahead of his peers as he aged, whether in sports or academia. Just because Taiki wasn't talented as a kid didn't mean he wouldn't be later in life. Heck, Rock Lee is a perfect example. Not that he didn't understand his parent's perspective, they just wanted what they felt was best for their son.

The match was a dull affair. Kure found himself lost inside his thoughts whilst reacting to his opponent's meagre offence. Normally such a lack of attentiveness would be incredibly stupid and reckless, but the skill difference was simply overwhelming. Taiki came from a civilian family and given his skills, or lack thereof, it was likely he only started training seriously this year.

Taiki slowly lashed out with his left leg, which Kure easily prevented from connecting with his face by simply raising his left arm, which he then used to shove Taiki away, as if he were simply swatting away an annoying fly. The shove left Taiki off balance, but Kure made no attempts to follow up, instead he was content to remain stationary and await Taiki's next move.

This move came quicker than expected. Undeterred from his failed attempt, Taiki hastily stepped forward and twisted his body to gain momentum to throw a punch at Kure's face.  
Kure couldn't help but internally admonish the effort, it was probably more telegraphed than what you'd expect from an inebriated civilian. This fact made the manoeuvre incredibly sloppy, whilst the punch wasn't exactly slow, knowing its destination made it incredibly easy to counter, not to mention that the large wind up had thrown Taiki's body off balance, which left a plethora of exploitable openings.

Ultimately, Kure was satisfied with simply sidestepping the punch and subsequently grabbing the offending arm once it was fully extended. Kure then painfully squeezed the arm and quickly twisted, taking a step forward and using the momentum and his own strength to throw Taiki over his body, knocking the wind out of him as he collided with the grass.

In an effort to ensure that the instructor didn't call and end to the match, due to the obvious mismatch, Taiki quickly rose to his feet, despite being unable to intake any air. Letting his eyes dart to the instructor, Kure noticed that he seemed content in letting the match continue.

Taiki however, unaware of the instructors' desire to let the match continue, felt that he had to quickly act before the match was called to a halt. Thus, Taiki, despite being unable to breathe, decided to launch a flurry of desperate strikes at Kure, frantically hoping that by sheer luck a miracle would occur, and he would feel a connection.

Yet no such thing happened, as he saw Kure simply sway his head slightly to dodge each incoming strike.

Assaulted by the burning sensation of being oxygen deprived, Taiki lost focus, which led to him giving up any sense of targeting and blindly continuing his ferocious assault.

Taiki quickly found himself becoming light-headed, and his legs were heavy as if he was bearing the weight of a fully grown Akimichi. He was only able to continue his last-ditch assault through sheer willpower alone, knowing that even a moments respite would lead to his defeat.

This reality of this realisation quickly dawned on Taiki, as he felt his bottom lip quiver as he knew that defeat in this instance was synonymous his life's desire and dream being shattered. It was this reality which allowed him to continue his assault, overcoming the pain and his ordinary limits. Despite this, he knew that he couldn't last much longer. His head was swimming, lungs were burning, and he was becoming so dizzy that he felt close to vomiting.

In his distress, Taiki couldn't help but feel that to any spectators, he must have looked like a pathetic mess. A lunatic trapped in a wild frenzy, aimlessly swinging at a target that he had no hope of making contact with. So not only would his dream be shattered, but he'd look like a fool as it gets extinguished.

However, just as he began to reflect on this, he suddenly became interrupted from such thoughts.

The unexpected happened.

He felt contact.

Disbelieving, his eyes darted to the point of impact. Taiki noticed that he landed a solid hit to the bottom of Kure's chin.

What he then saw would've knocked the air out of him, if he had any to spare. He saw Kure lean forward and crumple to the ground, unmoving.


	5. Chapter 5

After the match Kure found himself at a training ground outside of his clan compound. He'd have liked to say he was actually training, but in truth he was just blowing off steam. His decision to take Taiki's punch and fake unconsciousness was replaying in his mind, fuelling his anger at his rash decision. It was stupid, moronic, senseless. Kure couldn't think of enough negative adjectives to adequately describe his decision. All Kure wanted to do now was destroy anything in his path. The lopsided trees in the vicinity being evidence of this.

Noticing that it was getting dark, Kure begrudgingly decided to head back to his home, despite his remaining anger. Unaware of the concerned Inuzuka watching him.

Arriving back at his clan's compound, Kure gave his parents a quick greeting before heading to his room. He didn't want to stick around long enough for them to ask about his fight. They normally only ask for the results of his matches if it was a match against a competent opponent, but Kure didn't want to take the risk. They'd find out soon enough and confront him about it, but that's an issue for tomorrow.

Entering his room Kure let himself flop onto his bed, lying on his stomach with his head on his pillow. Replaying the day's events. He soon found himself gripping his pillow, getting more frustrated by the second. Losing to Taiki was a spur of the moment decision that he made on a whim because he felt somewhat sorry for him. It was a moronic decision that defied reason. Unless Taiki grows to become a strong ninja with influence and feels grateful towards Kure, which is ridiculously unlikely as there's more chance of him dying a gruesome death at a young age, then there are no benefits to be gained through throwing the match. Because of his sentimentality, Kure would damage his and his clans reputation, both of which are detrimental to his goal, in the words the only damn thing that matters. It was a lapse of judgement caused by silly sentimental values.

Such oversites are unacceptable. Kure's aim wasn't to become a respectable clan leader or Jonin, it was to amass as much influence and power as possible so that he could reach his goal. Being needlessly kind will make his goal significantly harder to reach, such naivete can't be afforded. Until immortality is achieved callous and calculated pragmatism is essential. With this, Kure made a vow to keep his emotions in check. In this world, undue kindness could be a killer.

Sitting up, Kure walked over to the window to stare off into the distance, a common habit that he had when brooding. Given the time he spent `training' it was already evening, evidenced by the height of the sun, which was currently low in the sky, painting it with the orange glow that Kure was so fond of. It was a sight that helped relax him.

Remaining thoughtful while mesmerised at the sight, Kure came to terms with his mistake, allowing himself to calm down and think rationally. It was fine. Better to learn this lesson now rather than later. All this slip-up will cost is a lecture from some clan members and slight damage in reputation. At worst, he'd find himself at the butt of some jokes that would be told outside of his presence and a be a temporary laughing stock. Not the ideal situation, but the damaged reputation would be easily repaired in time. Results spoke louder than words after all.

With the resolve to be more pragmatic towards achieving his goal, Kure drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

Fugaku wasn't expecting any visitors, so when he got an unannounced late-night visit, he was quite surprised. That surprised quickly shifted into anger when he found out about the news that was spreading about his son's recent defeat against a talentless academy student.

Just as he was about to march upstairs and give Kure a piece of his mind, he was stopped by his wife.

"What's wrong?" Mikoto asked gently.

Signalling for her to take a seat and subsequently taking a deep breath so as not to take his anger out on her. He explained what had happened and what he was going to do about it.

Throughout the tale Mikoto was silent, her slight frown being the only evidence that she too was disconcerted.

Mikoto allowed a deep sigh to escape her. "Yes, I see the issue, but surely a stern warning will suffice, I don't think we need to do anything more."

"Mikoto." Fugaku said seriously. "I know you're not this naive, we both know that his shameful display will bring shame to the Uchiha. He needs to learn that such behaviour is unacceptable. We both know he isn't stupid, he knew what repercussions his act would bring. I can tolerate accidents, but not disobedience.

"I know he's not stupid." She allowed. "But we should at least see if he had a good reason for doing what he did, and for all we know he might regret his decision. Besides, it's fine. Anyone with a brain knows he threw the match." Mikoto said dismissively.

"You're vastly overestimating how many people actually have brains!" Fugaku snapped, growing irritated with her leniency. "It doesn't help that he seems to have inherited some of your acting skills, as from what I hear he somehow managed to make his defeat look convincing. Honestly, I'm now questioning his loss to that Nara girl, she didn't exactly have a stellar record. Regardless, now there will be no shortage of people that will say that the defeat came from arrogance and overconfidence. I won't allow my heir to be seen as incompetent by sheep whose favourite pastime is to find amusement in the failings of others. Not to mention their senseless gossip will bring humiliation and embarrassment to our clan."

Biting her lip, Mikoto didn't respond. She knew that once his mind was made that it was very hard to change it. She did agree with him that Kure's actions were, if one were to look at cynically, treacherous. What she didn't agree with was the punishment. The punishment was to limit Kure's training to a measly 1 hour a day for three weeks.

She was honestly astonished that Fugaku was willing to give this punishment, as far be it from him, or any other clan head for that matter, to dissuade training, let alone ban it. Yet she knew that it would be the most effective punishment they could give, as well as the harshest, given Kure's obsession with it. Any other punishment he'd see as insignificant and shrug off.

Kure was obstinate, maybe more so than Fugaku, if he deemed his punishment unfair, which she knew he would, then he would probably grudgingly accept it whilst resenting him for it, probably with the petty aim of paying him back for the perceived slight. For all his maturity, he had the vindictive streak of a child.

With this in mind, she changed tactics.

"Let me handle it, it's clear he respects you, but I think a more subtle and diplomatic approach would work best. You know how stubborn he can be, especially when he thinks someone is abusing their authority over him" she said.

"Let him be stubborn, it'd just be a child throwing a tantrum. If he's disobedient I'll simply extend his punishment." Fugaku spat. "When I was younger, I accepted my punishments gracefully, as befitting of a clan heir, so I expect him to do the same."

Raising her eyebrows Mikoto countered, "Oh really? Remember that time your father  
ordered you to do make amends with that Hyuga who you disliked? I seem to recall you trying every trick in the book to try and get out of it, taking your anger out on your father for making you do such a thing."

Relating the anecdote to her current argument, she continued. "In the end, it was your mother who had to convince you to make amends by convincing you of the objective benefits. Don't you think that it would have all been a lot easier if she did that from the start rather than your father ordering you to do it?"

"That's different." Fugaku countered. "At that time, I was older and recognised as a shinobi, an adult in the eyes of the law, Kure is but a child."

"Yes, a remarkably mature child. He probably feels the same was you did, he's much alike you in that regard. Rightly or wrongly, he won't take well to orders. Typical, of an Uchiha really, he's much too prideful. This isn't us failing as parents, it's simply how he is. Fortunately, there's more than one way of using our authority as parents, we just need to be smart about it"

Sighing, Fugaku knew that Mikoto was right. Uchiha pride was strongest in those with the purest blood, it's unsurprising that Kure would inherit it in abundance. It was both a blessing and a curse.

"You're probably right." Fugaku reluctantly allowed. "However, this is the first time he's made a big judgement error that's affected the clan, it's important he understands that intentionally marring our reputation isn't acceptable. Mikoto. I **will** be giving out this punishment.

That being said, I do understand your argument. So as it's the first time he's seriously stepped out of line, I'll lessen the severity of his punishment significantly, banning him instead for a single week.

Knowing that he wouldn't budge any further, Mikoto simply nodded.

* * *

Sensing someone dash into his room, Kure immediately reached for his kunai and activated his Sharingan, only for his hands to be caught in a vice-like grip. The attacker then swung Kure's right arm into his left, allowing him to trap both of Kure's hands in just one of his.

Realising he was completely outmatched in strength, he channelled chakra in his legs and attempted to kick the assailant, hoping that it would give him some space. Unfortunately, the attacker predicted this, easily blocking the kick with his free arm.

"That's enough." came a familiar voice. Finally catching sight of the attacker, Kure noticed it was none other than his father, who had just released Kure and slightly distanced himself.

Feeling his heart thunder in his chest, Kure tried to calm down. On the outside, he tried to show no noticeable reaction, content on staring at Fugaku to see what he was about to say. Internally, he was seething, not at Fugaku, but at himself, knowing that if Fugaku was an enemy then he'd be dead.

Fugaku easily saw through his facade. "Don't worry about it, I'm a top class Jonin, you'll get there eventually." he said calmly. "You did well to sense me given the speed I was moving at and the fact that I didn't make a sound. I'm also impressed that you immediately activated your Sharingan, that's a good habit. Your decision to reach for a kunai was poor, and by poor, I mean completely idiotic. From the speed I was moving at you should have known you wouldn't have made it in time, plus leaving yourself prone severely limited your options. Power isn't your strong suit, speed is. If you let yourself get caught, then you'll lose. If you ever get surprised like that, then your first priority should always be to create some distance.

"I see, you're right. I panicked and though of too many ways to respond, so I hastily decided on an action lest I get trapped in indecision. Evading you would have given me more options and time to assess the situation. Thanks for the lesson." Kure said sincerely.

"You're welcome. Now come downstairs, we need to talk." Fugaku said, earlier traces of friendliness eliminated from his voice.

Wordlessly following Fugaku downstairs, Kure tried to think of how to respond to the inevitable accusation. He knew that this was going to be about losing to Taiki.

Entering the living room, Kure took a glance outside and guessed that it was probably around midnight, given the lighting and how rested he felt. Mikoto and Sasuke would still be in bed, the former likely awake due to Fugaku's stunt.

Fugaku walked around a low table positioned near the centre of the room, subsequently sitting in a seiza on a cushion. He then motioned for Kure to take a seat opposite him.

This was bad, Kure realised. If they were sitting down like this then Fugaku was going to be formal, meaning that he was probably pissed.

Once Kure kneeled, Fugaku wasted no time beating around the bush. "Well then, from that little exercise I can confirm that your physical attributes are around what I expected and align with the reports our trainers have been giving me."

"So, given that you're clearly a prodigy. Care to explain how you managed to lose to an unskilled student that's in the first year of the academy?"

Saying that he lost fairly didn't even cross his mind, Kure was bold, but not stupid. Such a blatant lie would only make the situation worse. Honesty would probably be for the best, but the only problem with that is that he himself didn't know what possessed him to throw the match. Looking back, it was a moment of madness. Unfortunately, he doubted that would go down well.

At first, he debated saying that it was because he felt slightly sorry for Taiki, but even though it was partly true, the reasoning sounded stupid even to Kure, so it would certainly be moronic to Fugaku. If anything, it would irritate him more. Instead, Kure went for a different angle.

"I let him win. I heard that his parents would take him out of the academy if he lost, so I felt a bit bad for him, but the reason I threw the match was because I admired his determination. Most people stay down and resign themselves to defeat when it's clear I outmatch them, so I felt that it would be a shame for it to be our last ever match when than determination may allow him to become a worthy training partner in the future."

It was a lie of course. Whilst true for the bottom half of the class, most of which have now been expelled. Most people from the top half fought desperately to win, either through jealousy, discipline, or so that they could proudly claim they emerged victorious against a prodigy, and the Uchiha heir no less. Even if Fugaku didn't cotton on to the lie, it was a long shot, he was hoping that Fugaku would see it as a misguided attempt to secure future growth by acquiring a training partner.

Fugaku looked unimpressed. "If you needed another training partner, you simply had to ask" he said flatly. I'm sceptical if his determination really inspired you so much, you aren't the type to make such emotional decisions."

"Regardless, I'll be frank." he continued. "I don't really care for your reasoning, ultimately, throwing the match to such an opponent brings shame upon yourself and our clan. I'm not going to explain why, because you already know why. I won't waste my breath."

"This won't happen again." he said, looking Kure in the eyes. "You will never again intentionally make thoughtless decisions that put us in a bad light, regardless of the reason. Is that understood?"

"Yes, I understand. I wasn't planning on it." Kure said.

"Good. Now, for the matter of your punishment. For the next week, you will only be allowed to spend a maximum of 1-hour training each day. This means any type of training, both physical or mental. You can study academically, but meditation and Taijutsu are off-limits. Understood?"

"What?" Was about the most eloquent reply Kure couldn't manage, horrified as to what he was hearing.

Ignoring his undignified response, Fugaku simply repeated himself.

Shocked was an understatement, Kure couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had always been confident that he'd never have ability to train taken away from him. At this moment, training was everything to him. He needed power more than ever. Not just to achieve his goal, but to survive. Stripping him of his ability to train felt almost felt tantamount to stripping his personal freedom.

Kure felt his blood boiling, a scathing rebuttal already quickly coming to fruition in his mind. Glancing out the window, Kure forcibly calmed himself down to ensure that in his next counter-argument his body language or tone won't betray his anger.

Overcoming his desperate desire to lash out and argue, Kure carefully kept his features neutral and tried a more diplomatic approach.

"Can't you just let me off with a warning? It's the first time I've purposefully done anything that reflects badly on the clan, and prior to this I've upheld our image. Heck, next week at the academy when we're sorted into classes based on ability, I bet I'll make all the other clans jealous."

Fugaku had forgotten that when Kure goes back in a week, they would hold tests to sort them based on their ability. Unfortunate timing was an understatement, Fugaku wanted Kure at his best, as he knew that he wasn't the only prodigy in his year. However, it was slightly more than a week until the test, so there would still be 3 days that he could use to train; besides, a week was insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

Not to mention, he had faith in his sons' abilities. He wouldn't back down and make himself look weak.

"You're won't train for a week, that's final. This isn't up for debate Kure. Understood?"

"No. I'm not neglecting my training" Kure said hatefully, becoming unable to control his temper. Kure understood that he made a mistake, but prior to this couldn't help but feel like he's been the perfect little ninja, so to then be punished for a single mistake made him livid.

Clearly not having expected that response, Fugaku glared at Kure. "You can't refuse, it isn't a request."

"Well I just did." Kure spat. I'm not giving up on my training. It's not…

"Enough!" Fugaku interrupted, raising his voice in anger. As your clan head, and in this case more importantly as your parent, I forbid you from training. I won't hear any further argument on the matter. Given that you've given me reason to suspect your cooperation, I'll be getting someone to monitor you. In the future, you'd do well to respond to such reasonable requests with a simple "Yes father. Now get out of my sight."

At this, Fugaku began to walk away.

"Arsehole. I wish I were born a Hyuuga, they wouldn't be dumb enough to stop their heir from training." Kure said scornfully. He didn't think about what he said, he just wanted to say something that he knew would hurt.

At this response Fugaku visibly stiffened, taken aback. The clan head was stunned at the sudden ferocity of Kure's reply. He honestly considered doubting his own hearing, as honed as it was. Slowly turning around and thoroughly observing the body language his son was displaying quickly dispelled any doubts as to what he heard, he had never seen Kure so angry.

As Kure saw Fugaku assessing him, time seemed to stop, his anger quickly morphing to panic. He quickly became alarmed as realised the severity of his outburst. Wiping his clammy hands against his shorts, Kure swallowed a lump in his throat,

"Sorry, I didn't mean any of that." Kure said sincerely.

After what seemed like an eternity, Fugaku spoke.

"Just this once, as it's the first time you've been so disobedient, and due to your young age, I'll pretend I didn't hear what you just said. For your sake, I hope you never take that tone with me again or utter such sacrilegious words again, even if they were said without intent due to your inability to control your emotions." Fugaku said all this calmly, but it only server to highlight his cold anger.

"I won't waste resources getting someone to monitor you, but train at your own peril." he said, before making his leave.

Returning in his bed, Kure admonished himself for his outburst. He could have simply gone to bed and discussed it calmly in the morning, but instead he let his emotions take over and lost control. Kure could truthfully say that he was glad to be born an Uchiha. He was treated with respect and given a lifestyle of luxury and comfort. His clan made a genuine effort to be friendly to him, and he knew that within the clan there were many good people.

Lying down in a futile effort to embrace sleep, Kure couldn't help but think: `Fuck, breakfast will be awkward tomorrow.'

* * *

Waking up, Kure grimly reflected on last nights events. Deciding not to delay the inevitable and prolong his suffering, he quickly got dressed and headed downstairs.

He was certain that Fugaku wouldn't let his outburst become known to anyone. Save for perhaps Mikoto, the thought of which slightly unnerved Kure.

Seeing his family awake, Mikoto was almost finished preparing breakfast, and Fugaku was sat at the other side of the room with Sasuke. Wordlessly, Kure took his seat at the table near Mikoto.

"What's wrong?" Mikoto asked, noticing his obvious discomfort.

Kure cursed himself internally for acting so transparent. Taking note that the question revealed that she didn't know.

"Nothing, I'm just tired." Kure replied, rubbing his eyes and making himself look unalert to make his response more credible.

"I see." Mikoto said. If she caught on to the lie, she said nothing of it. "Well, breakfast will be ready in a minute, so that will help wake you up a bit."

In the corner of his eye, Kure could see Fugaku approaching the table with Sasuke.

Taking a seat, Fugaku offered Kure a smile, seemingly genuine.

"Good morning, Kure. Looking forward to the academy getting more serious when you return?

"Uh yeah, it's nice to know that the real lessons will finally commence" he replied awkwardly

Noting Fugaku's friendly attitude, Kure couldn't help but become annoyed at himself and slightly embarrassed. He's supposed to be an adult too and yet here he is tiptoeing around like a meek child that got told off, meanwhile, Fugaku's handling it perfectly fine.

What Fugaku said next totally caught Kure off guard, immediately bringing him out of his musings and causing him to turn to Fugaku in wide-eyed disbelief.

"Want me to teach you the clans fire Jutsu after breakfast?"

* * *

AN: Made some slight changes to the last chapter: Changed Stan to Jirou and Enzo to Eizo. Also made it clear that the Kyuubi attack has indeed occurred.

Check out my profile to vote in the poll I just added if you're interested in influencing what anime my next fic will be about.


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